Game apparatus



Sept. 8, 1931. J. ACKERMANN GAME APPARATUS Filed May 15, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet l awuemtoz auwmto'a 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 8, 1931. J. ACKERMANN GAME APPARATUS Filed May 15, 1929 Sept. 8, 1931. Y J. ACKERMANN ,3

GAME APPARATUS:

Filed May 15, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Sept. 8, 1931. J. ACKERMANN GAME APPARATUS Filed May 1s, 1.929

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 MW W i Patented Sept. 8, 1931 JOSEPH ACKERMANN, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK GAME APPARATUS Application filed May 15, 1929. Serial No. 363,181.

My invention relates to improvements in game apparatus of the type wherein balls or projectiles are thrown against a scormg device and it is my object to provide means for delivering to the player a predetermined number of balls or projectiles and which resets the scoring device to zero without the intervention of human agency. m My invention is applied to a board or 1 alley which may be of any desired length or width along which the ball or projectile is rolled or slid. The board or alley has an obstruction which causes the ball or projec- M tile to be projected into the air at a certain point and land in a target at the rear of the alley, which target generally consists of a number of pockets or holes, each of which is assigned an arbitrary value. The game is counted by adding the value of the successive shots of each player.

My device may also be used in supplying a fixed number of baseballs to be thrown at objects.

, a I will not go into the details of construction of the various games which my device may be used with but will confine myself to the coin controlled, ball delivering mechanism invented by me.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is an elevation of the coin operated part of my mechanism; Fig. 2 a view of the structure of Fig. 1 taken at right angles to the view shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a side view of the ball tunnel and cut- I; oii device; Fig. 4 a top view of the structure of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 a detail view of the ball outoff device; Fig. 6 a detail view of that portion of the structure shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 a detail view of the coin operated mechanism; Fig. 8 a detail view of the coin operated mechanism; Fig. 9 a detail view of a portion of the coin operated mechanism; Fig. 10 a detail view of another portion of the ball measuring mechanism; Fig. 11 another view of the structure shown in Fig. 10; Fig. 12 a view of a modified form of power mechanism; and Fig. 13 a side view of the structure of Fig. 12.

These ball games comprise fourgeneral groups of mechanism. First, the coin device which releases the mechanism and puts the apparatus in condition for play. Second, the ball metering or measuring device which cuts off a fixed number of balls and delivers them to the player. Third, the target and its resetting device. Fourth, the alley with its obstructions thereon which cause the balls to jump into the air and into the target.

My invention has to do with the coin device and the ball metering or measuring device and may be applied to any existing alley and target.

Heretofore the coin has been handed to an attend-ant who pulled a lever which operated mechanism which reset the target 6 score and delivered a fixed number of balls to the player. i

My invention dispenses with the attendant so that the player by inserting a coin starts the mechanically driven devices which deliver to him a pre-determined number of balls and resets the target to zero.

The coin slot control mechanism is housed in a casing 1 located adjacent the player and comprises a coin slot 2. A contact arm 3 pivoted to the casing at 4 projects into the path of the coin and has an electric contact thereon. A co-operating contact 5 is mounted on the casing 1. When the coin reaches the contact arm it pushes the two contacts together and completes the-electric circuit. This energizes a solenoid 6 whose core 7 is pivotally connected to an arm 8 pivoted to the case at 9 and causes it to-swing. A link 10 on the free end of the arm 8 is connected to the ball measuring control in the lower part of the case. A cross shaft 12 has an arm 13 thereon which links it to the arm 8. The shaft 12 also has an arm 14 thereon.

The coin slot 2 is swingingly mounted at its upper end to the casing 1 at 15, being normally held in by a spring 16 as shown in Fig. 7. When the end of the arm 14 strikesa projection 17 secured to the coin slot it moves the coin slot slightly sidewise against the spring 16 and allows the coin to pass the contact arm 3 after which the contacts separate and the current is out 01f.

A dash pot 18 with a relief valve 19- con- 1.:

nected with the solenoid core controls the speed at which the mechanism operates.

As shown in Figs. 9 and 10 the lower part of the casing has a shaft 20* therein which extends beyond the casing. An arm 21 is secured to the shaft 20 and is pivotally con nected to the. link 10. Another arm 22 is secured to the outside end of the shaft 20.

When the solenoid core moves, the arm 8 moves the link 10 which pulls the arm 21, partially rotating the shaft 20 and causing the arm 22 to swing for a. purpose hereinafter described.

The ball tunnel 30 runs from the players position to the target and played balls are collected in it and tend to run towards the player, the ball tunnel being set up at a slight angle for this purpose. A walking beam 31 is pivotally mounted on the ball tunnel at 32. This walking beam has cam slot piece 33 mounted thereon. A slidable bar 34 is mounted on standards 35 and 36 on the ball tunnel with a pin 37 engaging the cam slot in the piece 33. As the bar 34 is moved backwards and forwards the Walking beam rises and falls. At each end of the walking beam and projecting into the tunnel and into the path of the balls are cutoffs 3S and 39 at such distance apart as to meter the desired number of balls between them. A cable or link 40 connects the bar 34: to the target resetting means, not shown. A link 41 connects the rod 3% and the arm 22.

x In operation a coin is dropped intothe lifting the cut ed 39 out of the path of the balls in the tunnel and putting the cut off 38 into the path of the balls. This releases the predetermined number of balls and allows them to roll to the outlet 42 of the. ball tunnel from which they may be removed by the player. At the same time the link 40 actuates the target resetting device. l/Vhen the solenoid core reaches the end of its travel the arm 1A strikes the coin slot projection 17 and moves the coin slot to one side allowing the coin to pass the contact arm which then moves 03 its co-acting contact, shutting off the flow of electricity and allowing the sole-.

no-id core to return to its initial position which in turn reverses the position of the walking beam 31 and puts the cut off 39 into the path of the balls in the tunnel and raises the cut off 38so that the previously played balls may run down the tunnel until they are stopped by the cut off 39.

Where direct current is not available to operate the solenoid a motor and reducing gear, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12 may be employed. A motor 50 operates through a reducing gear 51 Whose o-utput'gear 52 has part of its teeth cut away. This gear meshes with a rack 53 which performs the functions of the solenoid core. When the motor is started the gear 52 is slowly revolved and the teeth engage the rack until the blank part is reached by which time the various parts of the device have performed their functions and thecurrent shut off, after which the rack bar may drop back to its initial posit-ion.

In the appended claim the term electric motor includes a solenoid or other electrically operated source of power.

It is obvious that difierent ball metering devices may be controlled from my device and I do not limit myself to the particular form shown and described herein.

Ball delivery apparatus for games comprising an electric motor, an arm pivotally mounted and connected to said motor, a ball tunnel, a walking beam mounted thereover, cut-offs on the ends of the walking beam adapted to enter the tunnel, said walking beam being provided with a cam slot, a link connected to and reciprocable by said pivotally mo-unted arm, a pin on said link engaging the cam slot and means controlled by the motor for breaking the circuit and stopping.

the motor after one up and down movement of the walking beam.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

JOSEPH AGKERMANN. 

